[Cheetah Designs]

Are <h1> tags supposed to be the first thing in the body html...its what I heard a while ago and I was wondering if that's still the case for SEO or whether it should be the navigation or does it even matter?

Do parametrized links like "index.php?page=web" get indexed by google or does it just index "index.php"? (I am fully aware of mod_rewrite, just wanted to be able to truely explain its use in the context of SEO if there is any?)

Thanks

[Bill Posters]

Originally Posted by Cheetah Designs

Are <h1> tags supposed to be the first thing in the body html...its what I heard a while ago and I was wondering if that's still the case for SEO or whether it should be the navigation or does it even matter?

Cue shitloads of opinion

Do parametrized links like "index.php?page=web" get indexed by google or does it just index "index.php"? (I am fully aware of mod_rewrite, just wanted to be able to truely explain its use in the context of SEO if there is any?)

Google has been handling/following url query strings for years.
G can reportedly handle up to nine, but it'll look more kindly upon sites which use four or fewer.

Read it somewhere on the Google Webmaster pages a year or three back, iirc.

[Cheetah Designs]

Originally Posted by Bill Posters

Cue shitloads of opinion

Fair enough.

Google has been handling/following url query strings for years.
G can reportedly handle up to nine, but it'll look more kindly upon sites which use four or fewer.

Read it somewhere on the Google Webmaster pages a year or three back, iirc.

Hmm....so is there a point of mod_rewrite in SEO? If so, what is it?

[PointandStare]

Yes and No.

[Bill Posters]

Originally Posted by Cheetah Designs

Hmm....so is there a point of mod_rewrite in SEO? If so, what is it?

Bear in mind that SEO is not my core interest and there may well be more definitive answers available…


Usability is the principle benefit of mod_written(?) urls, imo.
Users are far more likely to remember a url if it follows a more natural structure.

Which is more likely to be remembered and used, when mentioned on air or seen in print?
bbc.co.uk/news or bbc.co.uk/?section=news

Of course, the longer the url, the less likely users are to find even a mod_rewritten url memorable. However, if even longer urls still reflect a form of breadcrumb structure, then the chances that they can be used directly (rather than from a bookmark or link) is increased - i.e. increased usability.

I honestly can't say whether search engines who like to see keywords in urls will reward domain.com/widgets any more than they'll reward domain.com/?section=widgets.
(That's something I wouldn't mind knowing myself.)

It's certain that they'll reward domain.com/widgets more than they'll reward domain.com/?section=2

Incidentally, Google themselves recommend avoiding the use of id as a parameter name -
e.g. domain.com/?id=3 or domain.com/?id=widgets


So, in my view, whilst the benefits over keyword-loaded query string urls are unlikely to be massive, there are still tangible benefits to using mod_rewrite to make urls, not just more search engine-friendly, but more user-friendly.


My 2¢.

[Cheetah Designs]

I understood the usability concept and would have used mod_rewrite to change/redirect urls anyways....but if I remember someone saying they were good for SEO...

...and should a client (or someone else) ask, I would like to be able to explain.

Thanks for the responses.

[transparent_opacity]

Keyword use in the URL is considered as important as in heading tags over on SEOMoz: SEOmoz | Google Search Engine Ranking Factors

Numerical parameterised links are better off rewritten (301'd) to something more meaningful